ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Tuesday February 23, 2016 sports | page 16 digicel Junior series hosTs 30 golFers High of 85 Low of 74 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. editorial | page 4 audiTing The carePay audiT 180913_PRINT-Ad-Strip-BOTY-6colxPage 1 11/30/15 12:30:30 PM court rules hsa doctors have immunity from negligence suits James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Doctors at the Cayman Islands Hospital cannot be sued if a patient suffers death or in- jury as a result of their negligence under cur- rent Cayman Islands Law, a judge has ruled. In a judgment published Friday, Justice Richard Williams upheld the contentious section 12 of the Health Services Authority Law that provides blanket immunity from medical malpractice suits for anyone who works for the authority, except in cases where “bad faith” can be proved. He said he reached that conclusion de- spite being personally “uncomfortable with such immunity.” The judge adjourned his decision on a sep- arate application that the law is incompatible with the Cayman Islands Bill of Rights, to give the attorney general another chance to join the case and justify that policy in court. The ruling follows arguments in the case of Norene Thompson, whose child suffered se- rious birth defects as a result of what she al- leges was the negligent management of her labor and delivery at the Cayman Islands Hospital. The doctor involved has denied that she was negligent and the merits of the claim have not been assessed at this stage. In an earlier hearing, the Health Services Authority asserted that its staff are exempt from liability under section 12 of the HSA Law. The disputed section states, “Neither the au- thority nor any director or employee of the au- thority shall be liable in damages for anything done or omitted in the discharge of their re- spective functions or duties unless it is shown that the act or omission was in bad faith.” Lawyers for Ms. Thompson and her daughter had argued that section 12 of the HSA Law should not be seen as giving im- munity in cases of medical malpractice. They suggested this was inconsistent with other areas of legislation and that it cannot have been the intention of legislators to bar pa- tients who suffered at the hands of negligent medics from the right to sue. Justice Williams ruled against them on this point. He said the “plain and unambig- uous wording” of section 12, exempted the Work permits rise above 23,000 Highest level in six years brenT Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The number of active work permits held in the Cayman Islands rose above 23,000 this month, reaching a level not seen in the past six years. According to Immigration Department data previously reported by the Cayman Compass, the last time permits and government con- tracts granted to non-Caymanian workers went above 23,000 was in March 2010. The number is still a far cry from the more than 26,000 permits and contracts held in 2008, prior to the global recession. Periodic checks of immigration records for non-Caymanian workers over the past 18 months have revealed an overall 13 percent increase in work permits, government con- tracts and other temporary worker statuses. Those permits and contracts increased from approximately 20,360 in July 2014, to 21,400 in January 2015, and then to 22,232 in July 2015. Last week, there were 23,097 work per- mits and government contracts reported to be active in the Cayman Islands. “I see it as a positive sign, as an im- provement in economic development and growth,” said Chamber of Commerce President Paul Pearson. The immigration work permit numbers vary slightly from week to week as permits Kiteboarders make 100-mile crossing kelsey Jukam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com A team of athletes made history Sunday as they traveled 100 miles from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman by kiteboard. The 10 kiteboarders overcame chal- lenging wind conditions, seasickness and the psychological stress of traveling across the open ocean, driven by their cause: Kiting for Cancer. Before their trip, the team raised nearly $130,000 for the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. That community support – and the knowledge of what those funds would mean for cancer patients in Cayman – kept the kiters going during moments when they thought they were ready to give up. “Everybody just pushed themselves to their physical limits. If it was one mile more I don’t think I could have made it,” event organizer Amy Strzalko said. “The fact that you know the local community has confidence in you, that makes you finish it, and then you think of the reasons why you’re doing it.” Damian Davis, one of the kiteboarders who made the trip, said that the commu- nity displayed just as much teamwork in coming together to support the Cancer Society as the kiters did on their crossing. “It really does make it worthwhile, and PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Kiteboarders and their supporters wave marine flares and victory flags as they arrive by boat at the Cayman Islands Yacht Club on Sunday. The kiteboarders completed a 100-mile journey from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman. - pHoto: taNeos ramsaY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Tuesday February 23, 2016 • Cayman Compass SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - ZOOLANDER 2 (PG13) 12:50 I 3:15 I 7:30 I 10:00 DEADPOOL (R) 1:00 I 3:30 I 7:00 I 9:30 KUNG FU PANDA 3 3D (PG) 12:20 I 2:40 2D I 5:00 I 7:20 2D I 9:40 50 SHADES OF BLACK (R) 1:30 I 4:10 I 7:40 I 10:10 THE BOY (PG) 1:20 I 4:30 I 7:15 I 9:35 HOW TO BE SINGLE (R) 1:10 I 3:50 I 7:10 I 9:50 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) AlmA Chollette achollette@pinnaclemedialtd.com Budding chefs and engi- neers enjoyed exploring ca- reer opportunities at John Gray High School’s Career Day last week. More than 450 students attended the event, where they had the opportunity to talk with representatives of more than 30 companies about various careers, finan- cial aid and scholarship and internship opportunities. Company representatives met students who might one day be their employees, ap- prentices and interns in healthcare, construction, real estate, hospitality, surveying, education and insurance, among other professions. Year 11 student Kenniza Anderson aspires to become a chef. Her goal after gradu- ation from John Gray is to continue her studies at the Further Education Centre “to get more passes before moving to the U.K. to pursue higher studies.” “My passion [to be a chef] started from when I was young, and my mother was the one to inspire me,” said Kenniza. “She’s always in the kitchen …” She hopes to eventually enroll in culinary school in the U.K. and to start her ca- reer at the new Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa. “I don’t mind working my way up,” she said. Year 11 student Indirea Binns also expressed a desire to start her career at the new Kimpton hotel, as a recep- tionist, after completing her A Levels. Her ultimate goal, she said, is to become a cor- porate lawyer. Callum Shields, another high school student at the event, said he was interested in electronics and would like to pursue a degree in elec- trical engineering. Annisa Ramdeen-Wood, operations manager at Androgroup, an electrical and air conditioning installation, repair and maintenance con- tractor, said the company offers a variety of apprenticeship/in- tern opportunities, and shared information with Callum. “Career Day is … used to promote awareness of the different careers in Cayman,” said careers adviser Tania Johnson of the Further Education Centre’s Careers Advisory Service. “A lot of the students don’t know what they’d like to pursue and this is a great opportu- nity to learn about the dif- ferent opportunities available island-wide.” Ms. Johnson said the event has had strong support from Cayman’s businesses and government over the past five years. Students explore a world of career choices HAVANA (AP) – Cuban President Raul Castro an- nounced Monday that he is dispatching 9,000 soldiers to help keep the Zika virus out of Cuba, calling on the entire country to help kill the mosquito that carries the disease. In a rare front-page message on the state-run newspaper Granma, Castro said Cuba’s fight to prevent the arrival of the virus had been hampered by “the in- adequate technical quality” of efforts against the mos- quito, insufficient work to clean up areas where the mosquito propagates and poor weather conditions. He wrote that the ac- tive and reserve military personnel and 200 national police officials would re- inforce the Public Health Ministry’s efforts to spray neighborhoods for mosqui- toes and eliminate breeding spots. He said Cuba has yet to report a case of Zika, which is suspected of causing birth defects in Brazil. Cuba prides itself on its system of free, neigh- borhood-level healthcare, which has included in- tensive efforts to limit the Aedes aegypti mosquito that also carries the trop- ical diseases dengue and chikungunya. Those efforts include door-to-door fumi- gation of homes and offices by young army recruits and civilian workers who are supposed to maintain a careful record of places they’ve fumigated. Castro’s did not elab- orate on his criticism of anti-mosquito efforts, but the young workers can fre- quently be seen marking lo- cations as fumigated even when they encounter no one home, or the residents say they are allergic or asthmatic. The military is widely perceived as more effective and disciplined than Cuba’s civilian state workers, who earn about $25 a month on average. “Once again, the real protagonist in the fight against the menace of ep- idemics is our people, so it’s essential to be able to count on their conscious participation in order for this important and neces- sary work to be successful,” Castro wrote. Cuba sending 9,000 soldiers to fight Zika virus RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – A long- running investigation into corruption at Brazil’s state- run oil company has moved a step closer to President Dilma Rousseff: Police have ordered the arrest of the po- litical marketing expert who helped her win two elections. In a televised news con- ference on Monday, police ac- cused Joao Santana and his wife, Monica Moura, of re- ceiving $3 million in illicit funds from offshore compa- nies controlled by Odebrecht, a major construction com- pany under investigation for its relationship with the state-run oil company Petrobras. Odebrecht’s president, Marcelo Odebrecht, has been detained since June last year, accused of corruption and money-laundering. The arrest warrants are part of the two year-long Operation Car Wash, an in- vestigation into kickbacks at Petrobras that has implicated dozens of senior politicians and some of the country’s top business leaders. Santana and Moura have been in the Dominican Republic, working on the re-election campaign of President Danilo Medina. According to their lawyer, they are willing to cooperate with any police inquiry. As well as masterminding Rousseff’s 2010 and 2014 election victories, Santana also ran former president Lula da Silva’s successful 2006 campaign. The arrest order is a new blow to the Rousseff ad- ministration. The president is currently battling an im- peachment process over alle- gations that her administra- tion used state-run banks to fill budget gaps. Police order arrest of Rousseff’s election guru Year 11 student Kenniza Anderson with Massimo DeFrancesca, executive chef at the Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa Year 11 student Indirea Binns with chief engineer Eric Mildenberger of the new Kimpton resort Student Callum Shields with Androgroup Ltd.’s business operations manager Annisa Ramdeen-Wood and CEO Steven Walsh President Raul Castro In this 2010 file photo, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, center, with his Chief of Staff Dilma Rousseff. On Monday, police ordered the arrest of Joao Santana, who helped Rousseff win two elections, in a development that sees a long-running corruption probe move a step closer to the president. - Photo: AP3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday February 23, 2016 Convicted killers to get new hearings Fifteen murderers will be re-sentenced under new law James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com All 15 murderers cur- rently serving life without parole at Grand Cayman’s Northward Prison will find out within the next two years when they can be con- sidered for release. Authorities are preparing for a series of new sentencing hearings following the imple- mentation of the Conditional Release Law last week, which ends a long-held policy of automatic life sentences for murderers. The law represents the most significant change in how Cayman deals with con- victed killers since the aboli- tion of the death penalty. Peter Gough, strategic ad- viser to the deputy governor, said a judge of the Grand Court would be appointed to review the circumstances of each murder and set a potential release date for each prisoner. Prisons director Neil Lavis has 14 days from the imple- mentation of the law on Feb. 15 to provide Chief Justice Anthony Smellie and Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Richards with a list of the prisoners serving life sentences in preparation for new hearings which, by law, must be heard within 24 months. Under the previous leg- islation, judges had no op- tion but to impose whole life sentences in murder cases, meaning that convicted killers would be locked up for the rest of their lives without the prospect of re- lease except by special order of the governor of the Cayman Islands. The new law, which fol- lows a recent ruling of the European Court of Human Rights that whole life sen- tences amount to “inhumane treatment,” allows more flex- ibility. In most cases, mur- derers will be considered for release after 30 years, but the judge has the discretion to raise or lower that tariff, depending on the circum- stances of the crime. The prisoners who have been behind bars the longest will have their new sentencing hearings scheduled first. Prathna Bodden, an at- torney with Samson and McGrath, said the firm has a number of clients who would be resentenced. Ms. Bodden said, “All of them are going to come back before the court. I think it makes sense for it to happen sooner rather than later. No doubt the defendants will want to know what their sen- tence is so they understand their position and can work towards that date.” She said the public would quickly see that the change would not mean the immi- nent release of dangerous criminals. Life can still mean life in the most extreme cases, she said. “Just because there is a tariff, that doesn’t mean they will automatically be re- leased on that date. It is just the earliest date they can be considered for parole.” She welcomed the imple- mentation of the new law, which she said allows each case to be considered on its own merits and brings Cayman into line with inter- national human rights law. “Lots of people are of the view that life should mean life and I understand that view. This law is not just about setting everyone free, it is about protecting the rights of individuals and encour- aging rehabilitation. “Not all murders are the same. I think people see there is a difference between a young person who makes a mistake, has mental health is- sues or who acts in excessive self-defense, and a cold, cal- lous case where someone acts with real criminal intent.” George Roper, one of four prisoners released from a life sentence by order of the gov- ernor prior to enactment of the new legislation, said he believes the new regime will give people hope where pre- viously they had none. Mr. Roper, who was sen- tenced to life in prison after being convicted along with another man in the death of a prison employee in 1994, has always maintained his inno- cence. But he believes even those who are fairly incarcer- ated deserve a second chance at some point. When he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, he said, it was a heavy burden. “It is more than a burden, it is like the breath being taken away from your lungs. You feel like you are no longer living. That is how I felt,” he said. “I am grateful to the com- munity that has accepted me, and I am sure the other guys that were released are grateful as well. “There have been sev- eral lifers released in the last two years. Some people thought it would be the end of Cayman, but that is con- trary to what’s happened. These people are getting on with their lives as respon- sible law-abiding citizens. All of us are working, we are still in probation, we are trying to take care of our- selves and our families and patch up our lives.” He said all of the released lifers had a privilege and a responsibility, which he was not taken lightly. Mr. Roper, who is developing a fishing business to give work to ex- convicts, continues to work with the Save our Youth foundation, which he estab- lished in prison. He said he believes people will respect the new law even if they do not agree with it. “My opinion is everyone deserves a second chance, whether you are the presi- dent of the United States or a guy on the side of the road begging for a dollar,” he said. Mr. Gough said there is enough flexibility in the law to ensure that the worst of- fenders remain behind bars. He said judges can in- crease the tariff for life sen- tences from a starting point of 30 years based on var- ious factors, including the level of pre-meditation, the level of suffering of the victim, and for sexually motivated crimes. The tariff can be reduced under certain circumstances, including if an offender acted in self defense, did not intend to kill the victim, or if it was a mercy killing. Even when a prisoner reaches the tariff date, it does not automati- cally mean early release. He said numerous fac- tors, including the circum- stances of the original crime and the psychological pro- file of the prisoner, would be considered before they were released into the commu- nity. Families of the victim will also get the chance to make representations at parole hearings. “This is a very important change for Cayman,” said Mr. Gough. He said there had been a lot of “human rights ac- tivity” on the issue, in- cluding a recent judgment in the European Court of Human Rights that life sen- tences without the hope of ever being released amounted to inhumane treatment. Had Cayman not altered its leg- islation, it likely would have been compelled to do so by the British govern- ment, he said. “It is like the breath being taken away from your lungs. You feel like you are no longer living.” GeorGe roper, on receiving a sentence of life without parole Northward Prison DUI arrest in fatal motorcycle crash Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police arrested a North Side resident in connec- tion with a deadly SUV- motorcycle collision that occurred in Savannah Sunday night. The 53-year-old man was taken into custody on suspi- cion of drunken driving and suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after the 8 p.m. Sunday accident. No charges had been filed by press time and the suspect remained in po- lice custody as of press time Monday. The crash involved a Kia Sportage SUV and a motor- cycle near the Countryside Shopping Centre in Savannah. According to wit- nesses, the Kia was headed westbound into town and the motorcycle, operated by 40-year-old Denvil Roy Mitchell of West Bay, was headed in the opposite direc- tion when they collided. Mr. Mitchell was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital and was pronounced dead upon arrival. Mr. Mitchell was em- ployed as a National Roads Authority machine oper- ator between 2006 and 2010 and again after he rejoined the agency in May 2011 fol- lowing a short break. NRA Director Paul Parchment said Mr. Mitchell most recently worked as the operator of the authority’s street sweeper vehicle. Police are particularly keen to speak with the driver of a Silver Honda CR-V who was just behind the motor- cycle at the time of the crash. That person is asked to call RCIPS Traffic Management at 324-9853 to provide more information. Although the crash hap- pened Sunday night, the scene remained cordoned off up to 12 hours later and affected the morning com- mute into George Town for thousands of drivers in the eastern districts of Grand Cayman. Police said the lengthy road closure was neces- sary given the severity of the crash. The collision is the second fatal traffic accident this year in the Cayman Islands. Ethel Ebanks died on Jan. 28 following a one-car crash outside the Kirkconnell Supermarket on Stake Bay Road in Cayman Brac. Police arrested a DUI suspect in connection with Sunday’s fatal crash in Savannah. – Photo: taneos RamsayThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” Tuesday February 23, 2016 • Cayman COmpass In the aftermath of months of courtroom testi- mony where people and paperwork attested to a near- complete absence of scrutiny in regard to Canover Watson’s manipulation of the Cayman Islands govern- ment’s CarePay contract, Deputy Governor Franz Man- derson has ordered the Internal Audit Unit to get to the bottom of things. In order for this to be more than an ex post facto box-ticking exercise in the ascertaining of “best prac- tices” — in other words, for it to have some practical value — we suggest the following first step: grab Police Commissioner David Baines and a fistful of badges, and deputize the internal auditors. Well, maybe that’s a bit extreme. Despite the apparent lack of oversight in regard to government’s goings-on, we probably don’t have to resort to “Wild Wild West” measures. Our point is, when identifying the factors for gross financial malfeasance, accountants are OK, but police officers are far better. The difference is that accountants carry calculators, while the police carry handcuffs. We do not question the integrity of the Internal Audit Unit, nor the quality of its work. Indeed, over the years the team has produced in-depth, no-holds-barred inquiries into GASBOY, government IT systems, the Postal Service and airport parking — some of the finest government reports ever to be placed on shelves to gather dust. From 2007 to 2012, the Internal Audit Unit produced 55 reports, making a total of 327 recom- mendations to dozens of public agencies, according to a follow-up review performed by the unit that the Compass wrote about in a news story published last April. About 24 percent of those recommendations were “fully implemented,” while no progress at all was made on more than half of those recommendations. (Put another way, they were ignored … an option not available when the police are involved.) More recently, internal auditors looked into various administrative allegations made in 2014 against sus- pended Chief Immigration Officer Linda Evans. Multiple government sources have told the Compass that one of the allegations is in relation into the award of Cay- manian status, which in our opinion should be the purest and most sacrosanct function a chief immigra- tion officer is entrusted with performing. As of this writing, Ms. Evans remains on paid suspension while the government mulls over its decision … and mulls … and mulls … and mulls. No doubt, whatever report the Internal Audit Unit produces on the procurement of the CarePay contract will make for interesting reading, that is, whenever the public is finally allowed to read it. What we do doubt, however, is that any material consequences will ensue from the findings of the report, or that any civil servants will be held accountable for any misconduct, neglect or gross ineptitude. Mr. Manderson has made a point of emphasizing that the internal audit is not a criminal probe. That’s the problem. This isn’t a job for the civil service — it’s a job for law enforcement. Police, by the way, don’t appear to be through with their CarePay investigation just yet. If internal auditors are going to conduct their own probe, they should make a duplicate of every document they unearth, and hand it over to police. Powers of arrest trump powers of administrative sanction, every time. Auditing the CarePay audit An artist’s impression of gravitational waves generated by binary neutron stars. The successful detection of gravitational waves by scientists was the product of 40 years of research. – Image: R. HuRt/CalteCH-JPl The patience behind the discovery AlAn lighTmAn Like many homo sa- piens on planet Earth, I was thrilled by this month’s an- nouncement of the first di- rect detection of gravitational waves. This finding surely ranks with the greatest sci- entific discoveries of the past 200 years. Nobody in the scientific community doubted the exis- tence of gravitational waves. They are absolutely required by Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity and have been indi- rectly inferred from other as- trophysical observations. The great achievement here was the construction of the most sensitive scientific instru- ment ever built – able to mea- sure changes in distance a thousand times smaller than the nucleus of an atom. We now have a new sense organ with which to fathom the cosmos. Previously, as- tronomers could detect only electromagnetic radiation from outer space, including visible light, radio waves and X-rays. Gravitational ra- diation is totally different – as different as sound is to light – and reveals an en- tirely new range of phe- nomena previously invis- ible and silent. It is as if you were born deaf: You could see, but you had no com- prehension of speech, of music, of the chirpings of birds. Then suddenly you could hear sounds. With the ability to detect gravita- tional waves, we may learn about the explosion of stars, the formation of black holes, the lumpiness of matter in the early universe. As with the first understanding of DNA, we cannot imagine the insights and revelations that may emerge. As I watched the Feb. 11 news conference broadcast from the California Institute of Technology, I was struck by the fact that the leaders of this scientific project are well into their senior years. Caltech’s Kip Thorne is in his mid-70s, and MIT’s Rainer Weiss is in his early 80s. (Ronald Drever, the third leader of the team, is 85 and suffers from dementia.) These guys are not hot-shot young mavericks like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. They have been working on this project, called the Laser Interferometer Gravitational- Wave Observatory (LIGO), for 40 years. Gerald Ford was in the White House when Weiss and Thorne had their first meeting in a District of Columbia hotel room to dis- cuss the outrageous idea of measuring a movement 1,000 times smaller than the pit of an atom. Over the subsequent decades, thou- sands of pages of equations and design concepts were scribbled, hundreds of sci- entists were recruited, and novel equipment and proto- types were imagined, built and tested. Generations of graduate students have come and gone without seeing the fruits of their labors as the project received grant after grant from the National Science Foundation, which had every right to be skep- tical of this wild dream. It was like building three Brooklyn Bridges, one after another, with only a hope and a prayer that the thing would hold up. The world at large, and the United States in par- ticular, has developed an unfortunate need for in- stant gratification. We live not only in the age of infor- mation. We live in the Age of the Now. We grow im- patient with printers that cannot churn out 10 pages per minute, or with com- puter screens that take 30 seconds to boot up. We avoid investing in compa- nies that do not promise payoffs within a few years. Federal research and de- velopment, as a fraction of gross domestic product, has been going down and down. Perhaps even our foreign policy has been plagued by a hurried view of the world, seeking immediate results. In science, as in many other precincts of the Age of the Now, too often we cele- brate the instant discovery, the sudden breakthrough, the quick and glamorous result. Drever, Thorne and Weiss, and the many scientists and institutions that supported their dream, did not seek in- stant gratification. They had a vision, and they wandered the desert with that vision for 40 years. In the early 1970s, I was one of Thorne’s graduate stu- dents in physics at Caltech – shortly before he teamed up with Weiss and Drever to start work on LIGO. Even then, Thorne was deeply in- volved with the theoretical study of black holes, exper- imental tests of Einstein’s theory of gravity and the mathematics of gravitational waves. He worked carefully and methodically. He was patient with his students. He believed in the slow but steady progress of science. He taught his students much at that time, not just about physics but about an ap- proach to the world. And, by example, he has continued to teach us ever since. Alan Lightman is a physicist, novelist and professor of the practice of the humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. © 2016, The Washington Post With the ability to detect gravitational waves, we may learn about the explosion of stars, the formation of black holes, the lumpiness of matter in the early universe. As with the first understanding of DNA, we cannot imagine the insights and revelations that may emerge.5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday February 23, 2016 Visiting Sports Medicine Physician specializing in non-operative musculoskeletal & joint conditions. Dr. Melissa Mascaro MD Cayman Clinic @ 439 Crewe Road, GT Is available for consultation from Friday February 26 – Tuesday March 1, 2016 (Including Saturday) Call: 949-7400 between 8:30am to 5:pm to make an appointment Black Pearl Skate Park provides safe haven for at-risk youth New floodlights enable park to open at night JameS Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com For Luis Hernandez, the Black Pearl Skate Park is more than just a place to try out new stunts on his BMX. “I can say with 100 per- cent certainty this park has kept me out of a lot of trouble,” says the 21-year-old, who discovered a talent for the sport five years ago. “Without the park, I would have been out hanging with the wrong crowd doing things I shouldn’t have been doing,” said Mr. Hernandez, who believes BMX riding provided a positive outlet he had not found elsewhere. As soon as he got on a bike, he says, it felt like “this is what I was supposed to be doing.” “It really kept me busy and active in a positive way and I would love to see it do the same for more young people,” said Mr. Hernandez, who now works at Comfort Suites and helps at the skate park in his spare time. Expansion Michael Myles, govern- ment’s at-risk youth officer and the chairman of the Cayman Islands Skateboard Association, said the park is expanding to provide for more youngsters like Luis Hernandez. In the last few months, floodlights have been in- stalled to enable the park to remain open at night. A new skate shop with rental equip- ment has been put up on site, and basketball hoops and a Saturday chess club have been added for youngsters who do not want to skate. Youth center “The ultimate aim is for this to be a youth center that serves our young people with multiple activities,” said Mr. Myles, who hosted an event Thursday for sponsors and supporters of the park. He said progress has been made possible by the sup- port of sponsors, including the Ministry of Sport and Northward Prison, which provided volunteer labor at the site. He is still looking for sponsors for more basketball hoops and a sound system, as well as rental bikes, hel- mets and other equipment. “This is all about making sure kids have something constructive to do and that the park is available to as many young people as pos- sible,” Mr. Myles said. The skate park is now open until 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 9 p.m. on weekends. Chess club takes place at the Grand Harbour venue from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays. The park is used four days a week by the Extended After School Program and every day by the neighboring Hope Academy. Luis Hernandez showed off his BMX skills to sponsors and supporters of the skate park. Jon Mikol Rankin, who worked for several years at the skate park before joining the fire service, shows off some stunts at the park on Thursday. Living on the edge. Ethan Hydes, 15, prepares for a stunt at the skate park Thursday. Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden visited the park Thursday. The ministry helped pay for new floodlights at the venue.Tuesday February 23, 2016 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days West Bay 50 years ago: a new baby, and a lovely wedding In the Feb. 23, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, West Bay corre- spondent Leila Yates wrote: “Mr. and Mrs. Kivie Ebanks be- came the happy parents of their fifth child and second daughter on the 13th. “Mr. Wosley Ebanks arrived home on the 18th from the U.S. where he worked for N.B.C. on the S.S. Oceanic. “Mr. and Mrs. Leathon Parsons are home again after visiting her daughter Leone in Louisiana for a few weeks. “Mrs. Goldie Ebanks left for the U.S. on the 19th to visit relatives. Mr. Fred Ebanks left on the same day for Jacksonville where he works for Illinois Glass Co. “There was a lovely wedding at the Church of God on the 17th when Miss Lonie Mae Ebanks, eldest daughter of Viola Ebanks, became the bride of Mr. Harvey Parchment in a cere- mony performed by Mr. Fossie Arch. Miss Emma Grace Ebanks was maid of honor, Mr. David Parchment was best man. “Bridesmaids were Misses Andrea Nixon, Aleen Connor, Lolita Parchment, Girldean Manderson and Celia Ebanks. Groomsmen were Messrs. Eugene Ebanks, Sebert Wood, Rudolph Powery, Noel Ebanks and Wilfred Conolly, and four flower girls. “Mrs. Linnett Collins arrived from Jamaica on the day after her father’s death to visit her bereaved mother and sister. She left on the 21st. Her brother Mr. Ed Swaby and his wife arrived on the 20th. They will be here one week.” Around the district: West Bay beaches The West Bay shoreline offers many contrasts, with craggy ironshore giving way to sugary sand along the western coastline at the top of Seven Mile Beach, while rustic charm defines the dis- trict’s northeast beaches that culminate at Barkers. At the northern end of West Bay Road, the hidden charms of Cemetery Beach attract tourists and lo- cals seeking a shady option to the wide open stretches further south. Seagrape trees dot the beach and attract families with small children, as well as snorkelers keen to check out the reef a short dis- tance offshore. Those willing to venture out further on a kayak or paddleboard have close access to the Kittiwake dive site, ranked number 6 of TripAdvisor’s 162 “Things to do” in Cayman. As kids gambol among the low tree branches, friendly greetings ring out from passing dog walkers, offering a pleasant atmosphere. The travel ratings site has Cemetery Beach currently ranked number 11 of the “Things to do” in Cayman. Some of the latest post- ings on the site describe Cemetery Beach as a “very nice snorkel spot,” “Best snor- keling in Cayman,” and “Why isn’t everyone here?” The an- swer may lie in the fact that the beach is somewhat hidden behind West Bay Cemetery, it’s only accessible by footpath, there are no re- strooms or other amenities, and it has somewhat limited parking. At the same time, re- viewers generally note that while they heard there wasn’t much parking, they somehow are always able to find a spot. Further north, West Bay public beach is a popular spot for families and boaters thanks to its boat ramp. The large sandy expanse also features restrooms and ca- banas, along with vendors offering local wares. It re- cently earned a five-star TripAdvisor review, with the comments noting it was pristine, quiet and offered great snorkeling. The reviews of Barkers Beach, ranked number 14 of 27 things to do in West Bay on TripAdvisor, note that while the beach is “off the beaten path,” and “a little slice of heaven,” other com- ments lament “All that litter, I’m not sold.” Definitely out of the way, the gently sloped Barkers shoreline overlooking the reef provides scenic vistas for beach walkers and horse riders. Horse riding along Barkers is an activity ranked number 26 in the TripAdvisor list. Many visitors, however, choose to set up their beach chairs under one of the many casuarinas lining the shore to enjoy some genuine peace and quiet in this true get- away location. Families enjoy the shady peacefulness offered by Cemetery Beach. - Photos: taneos Ramsay West Bay’s numerous beaches garner many accolades on Tripadvisor.com.CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days West Bay Kittiwake photos garner accolades Images of Cayman under- seas vistas including West Bay’s Kittiwake dive site have earned two photographers high acclaim in the 2016 Underwater Photographer of the Year awards. The photography compe- tition, now in its second year but with its roots in the 1965 Brighton Underwater Film Festival, reportedly attracted 2,500 images entered from over 40 different countries last year. This year’s overall winner was Italian photog- rapher Davide Lopresti for an image of a seahorse titled “Gold.” The black and white Kittiwake photographs, both in the “Wrecks” category, offer dramatic depictions of the sunken ship that resonated with the competition’s judges. Photographer Christian Vizl earned a “Highly Commended” award for his photograph, “Caribbean, Grand Cayman. USS Kittiwake and diver.” “This image was taken during a workshop given by David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes at Cayman Islands,” Mr. Vizl said about his image on the Awards’ website. Mr. Doubilet is an acclaimed U.S.-based National Geographic pho- tographer, and his wife Ms. Hayes is an aquatic biolo- gist and photojournalist spe- cializing in natural history and marine environments. The duo’s workshop of- fered by Syracuse University took place at Sunset House in 2015. “I attended the work- shop and we visited many sites during our dives, in- cluding two dives at the USS Kittiwake. The diver in the picture is David Doubilet who very kindly offered himself as a model to his students!” The Kittiwake also fea- tured in “USS Kittiwake ship- wreck” by Cayman resident Susannah H. Snowden-Smith who earned a “Commended” award for her shot. The ar- resting black and white photo of jacks swimming near the wreck, with a diver in the background, appeared on the U.K.’s Sun and Daily Mail websites on Feb. 22. Having worked as a pho- tojournalist for many years, Ms. Snowden-Smith became a specialist in underwater ar- cheology photography, and fi nds Cayman, where she has lived since 2014, an ideal spot to keep up her underwater skills in between archeolog- ical assignments. “My favorite thing to shoot is ancient shipwrecks,” she said, noting the work has taken her to far-fl ung lo- cales like Sri Lanka, Egypt, and Turkey. “Most of the ones I’ve done have been pre-B.C., and the oldest one was 2,700 years old which was in the Mediterranean.” The stars aligning found Ms. Snowden-Smith and her husband moving to Cayman, where she now works as a freelance photographer. “Cayman is perfect as it of- fers so many exciting under- water photography opportu- nities,” she said. “And since I’ve come here my interest in the artistic side of underwater photography has really grown, as well.” Ms. Snowden-Smith ap- plied that artistry to her photo of the sunken Kittiwake. Since the Kittiwake is so large, she had to swim quite a distance away to get the shot the way she wanted, and waited for a school of jacks and a diver, with fi ns positioned just right, to snap her winning image. Ms. Snowden-Smith also received a “Commended” award in the “Behavior” cat- egory for her photo titled “Torrent” depicting a large school of silversides taken at Cheeseburger Reef in George Town. Ms. Smith wanted to capture their refl ective wrig- gling bodies in an unique way, taking shot after shot but fi nding she couldn’t produce what she was after. “I then changed tactics, and chose a slow-exposure to show the movement of the sil- versides, and used my strobes to both refl ect off them, and highlight some of the red sea life on the wall above,” she said, noting that waiting for a jack to chase the fi sh into the frame was the key to her shot. Commenting on the awards, and the subse- quent media recognition, Ms. Snowden-Smith said she was jumping up and down in ela- tion when she got the news. “This is the culmination of a very long journey,” she said. “I have been working very hard and very long at this, and to be recognized interna- tionally is just amazing,” she continued. “I submitted what I thought was my favorite work to the competition, and could not have been more delighted that the judges agreed.” Christian Vizl’s ‘Highly Commended’ photograph of the Kittiwake. Susannah H. Snowden-Smith’s photograph of jacks and a diver at the USS Kittiwake, off West Bay, won a ‘Commended’ award at this year’s Underwater Photographer of the Year Awards.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Community Calendar ■ Community Calendar is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. Tuesday February 23, 2016 • Cayman Compass TUESDAY, FEB. 23 LABOUR AND PENSIONS BRAC OFFICE: Representatives of the Department of Labour and Pensions will be in Cayman Brac today and tomorrow to assist with inquiries from employees and employers, answering queries about the Labour and Pensions Laws, Occupational Safety and Health, and the recently announced minimum wage which comes into effect on March 1. The DLP office at 256 Creek Road will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling 244-4008 or by emailing gene.hydes@gov.ky. Walk-in inquiries. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24 CONSERVATION COUNCIL MEETING: The National Conservation Council will hold a general meeting 2-5 p.m. in the ground floor meeting room (1038) of the Government Administration Building, Grand Cayman. Open to the public. The agenda of the meeting will be available at the Department of Environment website, www.DoE.ky. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the Catboat Club clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. MUSIC AT NATIONAL GALLERY: The Cayman Arts Festival makes its way to the National Gallery. Program of African and Caribbean music begins at 6 p.m.; doors open at 5 p.m. for viewing of “En Mas’” exhibit. Free admission. CHAMBER COURSE: “Situational Leadership” presented by Xenia Goddard, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members $350. Future members $400. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. THURSDAY, FEB. 25 NORTH SIDE DISTRICT COUNCIL: Residents are invited to attend and bring their concerns to the monthly meeting of the North Side District Council, 8 p.m. at the Civic Centre. MLA Ezzard Miller will provide an update on legislative matters. BRAC COURT: Summary Court will be held today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. in the Aston Rutty Civic Centre. CHAMBER COURSE: “Immigration – Permanent Residence, Work Permits and Status” presented by Nick Joseph, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members $350. Future members $400. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. WORKSHOP: “Enhancing the Value of Micro and Small Businesses,” presented by James Andrews of Integra Realty Resources, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Free. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. FRIDAY, FEB. 26 FOLK SINGERS: The Cayman Islands Folk Singers will present their concert, “Home and Away,” at the Harquail Theatre as part of the 2016 Cayfest Festival of the Arts. Caymanian compositions and regional favorites. Tickets are on sale at Foster’s Food Fair Strand location, Health Care Pharmacy in Grand Harbour, Funky Tang’s and the Harquail Box Office. Prices are $15 for adults and $10 for children. HOSPICECARE FLAG DAY: Today and tomorrow at numerous locations around the island, volunteers will collect donations for Cayman HospiceCare. Anyone who wishes to volunteer should contact chc@candw.ky. BRAC PAGEANT: The Creek and Spot Bay Primary PTA Committee presents “The Most Amazing Parents Pageant,” 6:30 p.m. Aston Rutty Centre. Entry fee is $25. Contact Sharissa Ritch at 924-1861. CAREERS, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING EXPO: From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in UCCI’s Multipurpose Hall. Free admission. Businesses interested in exhibiting should contact Nicola Burke at 743-9129 or email membership@ caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, FEB. 27 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: The National Festival of the Arts needs volunteers for all kinds of jobs, from setting up to selling tickets to modeling costumes and more. Shifts are 3-4 hours. Volunteers receive free entry to the festival, complimentary refreshments and an opportunity to give back to the community. Contact www.artscayman.org or admincncf@candw.ky or 949-5477. LATE VIEWING: In celebration of the Cayman National Cultural Foundation’s Red Sky at Night, the National Gallery will be open to the public for a late-night viewing of the exhibition “En Mas’ – Carnival and Performance Art of the Caribbean,” 4-10 p.m. Admission is free. PRINCESS TEA PARTY: Girls’ Brigade National Council annual fundraising event. Venue is Audrey Whittaker’s residence, 1237 Frank Sound, North Side. 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 and available now from any Girls’ Brigade officer. BRAC AGRICULTURE: The annual Cayman Brac Agriculture Show takes place at the Agriculture Grounds on The Bluff. Contact Chevala Burke or Marcia Rankin, 948-2222. BRAC CRUISE SHIP: The cruise ship MV Serenissima will visit Cayman Brac, 2-10 p.m. MONDAY, FEB. 29 JURY NOTICE: All Grand Court jurors in the Jan. 13–April 5 session should report for jury duty today at 9:45 a.m. PAINTING OPEN STUDIO: For adults who want to work independently. 12:30-4 p.m. Mondays until March 21. Watler House Studio at Pedro Castle. $10 for members of Visual Arts Society, $15 for non-members. Materials, instructions not included. Contact visualartcayman@ yahoo.com. FRIDAY, MARCH 4 SPRING FLING: St. Ignatius School Fair. 3 to 6:30 p.m. on the school grounds. $5 ticket for prize draw. Games tickets are $1 each. Lots of food, games, fun and prizes. All are invited. SATURDAY, MARCH 5 FUR BALL: 1950s themed gala at the Marriott to raise funds for the Humane Society. Special guest is Robert James Clarke, pet portrait artist. Tickets are $150, free welcome drink, wine and 3-course meal. Casual dress code with prizes for best-dressed male and best-dressed female. 7 p.m. Silent and live auction, raffle, live music. For tickets, contact cihsfundraising@gmail.com or 949-1461. PAWS IN THE SAND: Dinner at Rum Point restaurant to raise money for Protection of Animal Welfare Society. Tickets are $125 per person, with free ferry service leaving SafeHaven Dock at 5 p.m. for cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Includes Broadway show, silent and live auctions. Tickets from Lighthouse restaurant or contact 916- 1731 or 916-3957. SUNDAY, MARCH 6 CERAMIC OPEN STUDIO: Offered by Visual Arts Society for adults who want to work independently. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watler House Studio at Pedro Castle. $15 members, $25 non- members. Clay, materials and firing facilities available. Contact visualartcayman@ yahoo.com. GENERAL INTEREST PRE-SCHOOL FUNDING: The Ministry of Education is now accepting applications from parents of children who qualify for the Early Childhood Assistance Program, which provides early childhood centre funding for Caymanian children between the ages of 3 years and Reception age as of Sept. 1 and who meet certain financial criteria. Application forms and information can be downloaded from www. education.gov.ky/portal/ page/portal/mehhome/ education/earlyeducation. Application forms may also be collected from the Government Administration Building, Department of Education Services or early childhood centers. Deadline is April 29. FISH FRY: St. Ignatius School canteen, Fridays during Lent. Serving from 5-8 p.m. Dine in or carry out. Menu includes mahi- mahi for $10 or snapper, $12, with all the trimmings. Proceeds are for religious education and youth ministry. ADULT ART COURSES: New art courses at the National Gallery include drawing and painting, followed by batik and hatting. See www. nationalgallery.org.ky/news/ ngci2016adultcourses. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Contact humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition always needed. CONSUMER PROTECTION: The Law Reform Commission invites comment on the discussion paper, “Consumer Protection – Entrenching Consumer Supremacy in Cayman Islands Legislation.” The paper can be viewed on www.lrc.gov. ky. Submissions should be emailed to cilrc@gov.ky or sent by post or hand to the Director of the Law Reform Commission, 4th Floor, Government Administration Building, Portfolio of Legal Affairs, 133 Elgin Avenue, George Town, Grand Cayman, P.O. Box 136, Grand Cayman, KY1-9000. Deadline is April 29. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Ceramic Open Studio for adults on Wednesdays in March, 9 a.m. till noon. Figure painting classes Tuesdays till March 22, 7 p.m. Watler Studio at Pedro Castle. For more information, contact visualartcayman@yahoo. com. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay Artisans Market every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale between noon and 8 p.m. near KARoo restaurant. For more information on displaying your work, email info@ visualartcayman.com. REEF RESTORATION: Certified divers are invited to work on the Cayman Magic Reef restoration in George Town. A schedule of work dates and times is posted on Facebook under Cayman Magic Reef Recovery. Dates and times are listed under Events, for volunteers to check and sign up. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed. Tuesdays at the Truman Bodden Complex at 5:30 p.m. for track/field, football and bocce. No experience necessary, just a smile and patience. Wednesdays at Lions Pool 10:15–11 a.m. You do not have to swim, just be able to walk in water chest-deep. Thursdays at First Baptist Church for basketball, 5:30–7 p.m. Saturdays, volunteers needed for Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. Deck support and in-water swimming assistance needed. For more information, contact Penny McDowall at 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Starting Monday, Feb. 29, and continuing on Mondays until March 21, adults who wish to work independently can take part in a painting open studio at the Watler House Studio at Pedro Castle.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Tuesday February 23, 2016 defendants from liability un- less a patient can prove “bad faith” – which essentially means the injury was caused deliberately. However, he said the im- plications of this interpre- tation were “troubling” and adjourned a separate appli- cation, from lawyers acting for Ms. Thompson, that the law be declared incompatible with human rights guaran- teed under the constitution. “The issue as to whether a statute providing immu- nity against claims in dam- ages, including for clinical negligence, is incompatible with the Bill of Rights is one of great public impor- tance,” he said. He noted that the attorney general had initially indicated that he did not wish to “inter- vene” in the case, but said the issue was of such public im- portance that it would be dif- ficult for the court to make a ruling without his input. The judge added that the government may want to re- consider the implications of that immunity. “Although the unambig- uous and clear words in [sec- tion 12] may be consistent with the Legislature’s cost cutting and protective public policy prevailing eleven years ago at the time of its enact- ment, a later Government may feel it appropriate to openly clarify to the voting and wider public, who it is obligated to serve and protect, whether its declared policy is to retain legislation that denies rem- edies in tort for medical neg- ligence against the Authority, its directors and its em- ployees and to explain the jus- tification for such a policy at this time. “In light of the expressed view that civil liability can be regarded as an impor- tant mechanism to ensure quality of health service, one might ask whether such im- munity from claims in dam- ages for the Authority, its directors and employees in- spires or hinders patients’ confidence in the Authority and the services it offers,” the judge wrote. The ultimate decision on whether section 12 is com- patible with the Bill of Rights may come too late for Ms. Thompson and her daughter, who is now 10 years old. Even if the court decides the law breaches human rights guaranteed under the constitution, it is not certain that this could be applied to cases which pre-date the Cayman Islands Constitution, which came into effect in 2009, four years after the birth of the child. Justice Williams opined, “The separate issue about the retroactive effect of the Bill of Rights is also one of great public importance.” The ultimate outcome could have implications for a number of other cases, in- cluding for the family of Kate Clayton, a British dive industry worker who died last year as the result of a failed tracheotomy proce- dure at the Cayman Islands Hospital, according to a U.K. coroner’s ruling. to hear immediately on our return people talking about how stoked they were that we’ve been able to raise this money … it was really ful- filling,” Mr. Davis said. Mr. Davis said he has always wanted to do the crossing and the experience of actually completing it was the highlight of his 15 years on the island – but it was tougher than he expected. The kiters anticipated the trip would take six to seven hours, assuming they trav- eled on a day with ideal wind conditions. The team monitored weather conditions for weeks before deciding Sunday would be the best day, but Mother Nature had other plans. On Saturday, during their practice in Little Cayman, the team encountered winds of 25 knots and 10-foot seas. “We had such a scary training day on Saturday, it really made our faces turn white when we saw the waves,” Jon Dobbin said. “We were all shaken from that, but I think it knocked our cockiness out … and we got pretty serious that night.” Fortunately, the seas calmed the next day, making it safer for the boats that were traveling along with the kiteboarders for naviga- tion and safety purposes. The winds, however, calmed down too much. Mr. Dobbin said 16 knots would have been perfect, but the wind only picked up to 13 or 14 knots. As a result of the poor wind conditions, the kite- boarders had to change their parachute-like sails, switching to bigger ones to get more power. The condi- tions took a heavy physical toll on the athletes, too. “Kiteboarding is not nor- mally an upper body phys- ical sport, but everybody I know this morning, every guy and girl, has tired arms from cycling the kite back and forth trying to generate power, and that’s all we were trying to do for eight hours,” Mr. Davis said. “There’s a time where you have to dig deep and do whatever you need to do to make it happen,” he added. After eight-and-a-half- hours on the water, the team finally had Rum Point in their sights. Hovering above, the police helicopter greeted them, and the encourage- ment helped the team make the final push into Grand Cayman, Ms. Strzalko said. “We were all just physi- cally exhausted,” she said. “As soon as we saw the chopper, everybody got super emotional.” After landing at Rum Point, they traveled by boat to the Cayman Islands Yacht Club, shouting, shooting off flares, horns blaring as a welcome party waited to greet them. “The elation getting there, you’re just on an absolute high,” Mr. Dobbin said. “What an epic day.” Ms. Strzalko said she was “blown away” by the sup- port from the crew and ev- eryone who helped the team complete the journey, in- cluding the many businesses and individuals who donated money to the cause. She hopes the community will come to- gether again on Thursday at the Kiting for Cancer wrap- up party at Morgan’s restau- rant at the Cayman Islands Yacht Club and help the team reach its goal of $150,000 for the Cancer Society. The wrap-up party starts at 7 p.m. with drinks and canapes. A live auction starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 and can be ordered from Epic Day Entertainment or purchased at the door. are canceled, workers depart or businesses change. Any numbers given at a specific time function as a “snap- shot” of what exists, immi- gration officials have noted. However, over a period of time, the numbers can be used to track general trends. Over the past five years, work permit numbers have increased steadily in Cayman, from a low of about 18,500 in 2011-2012 to last week’s tally of more than 23,000. Speaking on behalf of the Chamber, Cayman’s largest business representative or- ganization, Mr. Pearson said the reports from the hospi- tality and services industry seem quite positive, but he noted that the economic success enjoyed at the mo- ment could be “fragile.” For instance, while in- ternational oil prices have declined sharply, providing some relief to motorists and utilities consumers, it could also hit travelers or poten- tial travelers employed by the U.S. oil and gas indus- tries in the coming months. “They’re not taking a hit next week, but we could see it in two or three months’ time,” he said. The sheer number of permits and government contract-holders comes as something of a surprise to the Chamber. Mr. Pearson noted that members had been complaining to the Chamber Council members regarding the difficulties of receiving work permits. Smaller firms, in particular, he said, reported having difficulties with the com- plex permit process, while the larger companies were generally “able to handle it better.” Premier Alden McLaughlin said last month that government expects Cayman’s “modest” economic growth of 2 percent annu- ally to continue during 2016, and that ongoing develop- ment played a major role in the growth. “There are a number of impressive major develop- ment projects under way or in the planning stages that will help bring more growth and employment opportuni- ties,” the premier said. “This government believes the key to tackling poverty is not giving handouts but cre- ating employment. Growth delivered by the private sector is the most important determinant of employment, but we as a government also have a direct role to play in helping Caymanians over- come important barriers to their getting jobs.” The government is ex- pected to soon release un- employment figures for 2015, but the premier de- clined to comment when asked about those Monday. Permit grants Work permit grants, meaning the initial award of a one- or two-year working contract by a private sector company to a non-Cayma- nian, increased from 8,042 total grantees living in the islands as of January 2015 to 8,804 this month. Work permit renewals for non-Caymanian workers who already obtained a full- year contract and whose contracts are being renewed, increased from 7,762 in January 2015 to 8,072 this month. The number of tem- porary work permits – those granted for only three or six months – went from approx- imately 3,700 in January 2015 to more than 4,000 this month. Immigration figures also indicated there were more than 600 people staying in the islands after having been granted “permission to continue working” or PCW status by the chief immigra- tion officer. Most but not all of those individuals have applied for permanent residence – the right to remain in Cayman for the rest of one’s life – and are awaiting word on the re- sult of their application. Government contracts The immigration records also indicated a signifi- cant increase in government hiring of non-Caymanians. The total number of non- Caymanians on government contracts as of last week was 976, compared to 875 a year ago. Public sector contracts for non-Caymanians re- mained quite low com- pared to 2006-2007, which saw some 1,400 non-Cay- manians employed in gov- ernment jobs. Special Economic Zone Work permits for indi- viduals employed within the Special Economic Zone, known as Cayman Enterprise City, have con- tinually increased since they were introduced more than three years ago. Immigration records re- ported about 273 work per- mits being held by economic zone companies, compared to 210 a year ago. Kiteboarders make 100-mile crossing CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Court rules HSA doctors have immunity from negligence suits CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Work permits rise above 23,000 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Immigration Department data shows that more than 23,000 work permits are currently active in Cayman. - Photo: Chris Court Kiting for Cancer team, back row, from left, Damian Davis, Jon Dobbin, Hope LeVin, Cora Schwendtke, Tristan Relly, Jeremy Walton, and Carlos Barroso. Front row, from left, Andre Slabbert, Derek Serpell and Amy Strzalko.Next >